"You don't want it to be the last conversation you have," CSP urges families to talk seatbelt safety this prom season
According to CSP, in April 2024, troopers responded to 3,577 crashes involving 16- to 21-year-olds being at fault. Troopers are now reminding parents to have a big talk with their teenager about driving safety before stepping out the door.
They said parents should remind their teenagers that wearing their seat belts can save their lives in a crash. They should never speed, drink or drive. Also, drivers should put away their phones while driving and never take their eyes off the road.
Troopers said Colorado already has an issue when it comes to wearing seat belts. When they pull people over, CSP said only 88% are usually seen wearing a seat belt. When compared to the national average of 92%, this is a big concern.
For many teenagers, they don't want to wear their seat belt because it may wrinkle their suit or dress for prom. CSP suggests bringing a steamer with you because, legally and for safety reasons, you need to wear a seat belt.
"I urge parents to have that conversation," Colorado State Patrol Trooper Sherri Mendez said. "Don't speed and wear your seat belt, because you want them to be able to come back home safely. You don't want it to be the last conversation you have with your child."
Troopers said they will be out enforcing this weekend, looking for DUI drivers, drivers not wearing their seat belts and speeders. This weekend also happens to be Easter and 4/20 weekend, so they are reminding everyone that driving behind the wheel high is still driving under the influence.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Juvenile survives after car rolls 320 feet down side of Colorado mountain
A juvenile survived a crash in southwestern Colorado where a car went off the highway and rolled approximately 320 feet down the side of a mountain. The crash happened just after 8 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Colorado State Patrol. Troopers said they responded to the deadly crash on Highway 550 near mile marker 88, located south of Ouray on Red Mountain Pass. According to investigators, the crash involved one vehicle, a silver Honda Civic that traveled off the shoulder of the roadway and rolled approximately 320 feet down the side of the mountain before it came to a stop upside-down in the river. Two adults were deceased on the scene, according to troopers, and one female juvenile passenger was trapped inside the vehicle. Emergency responders said they were able to rescue the juvenile at 11:27 a.m. and she was rushed to the hospital. During the accident investigation and cleanup, the southbound lane of Highway 550 remained closed. There was no timeframe given for the road to reopen. The Colorado State Patrol is asking anyone who witnessed this crash and has not yet spoken to investigators to contact Colorado State Patrol Dispatch at 970-249-4392.
CBS News
17 hours ago
- CBS News
Colorado State Patrol investigating wrong way crash on Hwy 9, five killed
The Colorado State Patrol is investigating a wrong way crash in Grand County on Monday that killed five people and seriously wounded another. According to CSP, A Ford F-150 was driving north on Highway 9 around 7:17 a.m. when, for reasons not yet known, the driver crossed into the southbound lane near milepost 136. The Ford struck a GMC Yukon heading south, and the impact caused both vehicles to catch fire. Authorities said the 25-year-old man driving the F-150 was taken by air ambulance to an area hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries. The 34-year-old man driving the Yukon and his four passengers were all pronounced dead at the scene. CSP said the Grand County Coroner's Office will identify the deceased pending notification of their next of kin. Highway 9 was closed in the area for much of the day while troopers investigated the scene. It was reopened by 2:47 p.m. Authorities are asking anyone who witnessed the crash and has not spoken to investigators to contact CSP Dispatch at (970) 249-4392 and reference case number VC25269.
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Homewood neighborhood near James Hart Middle School bands together after shootings
Residents who live near and on Olive Road in Homewood say they enjoy a quiet life ideal for raising a family. The area, only a few blocks away from James Hart Middle School, the Homewood-Flossmoor sports complex and public pool, and the Izaak Walton nature preserve, is tree lined and quaint. 'It's pretty idyllic,' Eric Crump said Friday, pointing out an ash tree across the street from his home on the 1300 Block of Olive Road that was turned into a Little Free Library after the tree died a decade ago. 'I see people stop there, grandmas with little kids, looking through the books pretty regularly,' Crump said. But the peaceful, wholesome self-image of the neighborhood contrasts with two shootings within a several block radius since April. A bullet hole remains visible on the front siding of Crump's house from the night of July 21. Crump and neighbor Tracie Moxley, whose home farther west was hit with gunfire April 20, several days after Easter, were among those to form a neighborhood watch group after the July 21 shooting. The goal of the group, named Izaak Walton South Neighbors, is not for neighbors to take matters into their own hands, but to partner with police and promote observation and communication among residents, Crump said. 'It's really a great catalyst for helping our neighbors come together and be more of a neighborhood than we ever have been,' Crump said. 'When an incident does happen, everybody rallies around. They don't just retreat into their house and draw the blinds,' he said. Moxley said she believes the legacy of the shootings, which are usually unheard of in their area, will be greater community connections. The first meeting of the Izaak Walton South Neighbors on Monday drew about 50 people, with the next scheduled for Aug. 11. As community members band together, Homewood police say they are investigating the shootings and their causes, providing little information in the meantime. At the most recent Village Board meeting July 23, trustees deferred action to police Chief Denise McGrath, with Trustee Patrick Siemsen saying, 'rest assured, she will get to the bottom of this.' Several Homewood residents pleaded for action during the meeting, including Maggie Gosselin, who lives several blocks south of Olive Road. Gosselin said her two 13-year-old sons, who attend James Hart Middle School, were about to bike to Izaak Walton to go fishing when they heard gun shots at about 5:45 p.m July 21. 'My kids look at me and they're like, 'Mom, I don't think those were fireworks,'' Gosselin said Thursday. 'And I'm like, 'You're right. I don't think those were fireworks either.'' Gosselin said she instructed her sons to bike to their friend's house, in the opposite direction of the gunshots, and said the boys now take an alternative route to get to the nature preserve. 'One of them in particular was afraid, he didn't want to go back,' Gosselin said. 'And this is where they spend their entire summer.' Gosselin said she hasn't taken part in the neighborhood watch group since she lives several blocks away from where the shootings have taken place, but she hopes the village considers installing cameras or helping the neighborhood boost security. Deputy police Chief Kelly Strayer, in an emailed statement to the Daily Southtown, said the three shootings 'appear to be random, and investigators are actively working to determine the circumstances surrounding each case.' Strayer said police increased patrols in the area and officers are 'working diligently to gather any information that may lead to identifying those responsible.' 'We strongly encourage anyone with information related to the shootings to come forward, as public assistance is a vital part of our investigations,' she said.
